countertenor
noun
coun·ter·ten·or
| \ ˈkau̇n-tər-ˌte-nər
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Definition of countertenor
: a tenor with an unusually high range (such as an alto range)
Examples of countertenor in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
FRETWORK The English viol consort stops in Boston on its American tour, joined by countertenor Iestyn Davies. — Zoë Madonna, BostonGlobe.com, "Boston’s 15 must-see classical music groups for fall," 5 Sep. 2019 It was originally created in 1985 to Henry Purcell songs for harpsichord, cello and countertenor. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Mark Morris Dance Group marries music and motion," 15 Aug. 2019 Daniels is also a countertenor with an extensive professional opera background. — David Jesse, Detroit Free Press, "U-M trying to out former grad student as gay, court filing claims," 31 July 2019 For a countertenor, OrliÅ„ski has a voice that does not go especially high. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "A Millennial Countertenor’s Pop-Star Appeal," 15 July 2019 Other standouts are power soprano Shafali Jalota as the fierce Juno; mezzo-soprano Kira Dills-DeSurra as Diana, who is both a nuanced singer and talented comedic stage actress; and countertenor Michael Skarke as the shepherd/poet Endymion. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: Voices sublime in Opera NEO’s modern world of ‘La Calisto’," 10 Aug. 2019 In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, countertenors were effectively displaced by castrati. — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, "A Millennial Countertenor’s Pop-Star Appeal," 15 July 2019 The John Holiday Experience: Love & Happiness The operatic countertenor performs selections by African American composers. — Matt Cooper, latimes.com, "SoCal classical music listings, June 16-23: Pianist Inon Barnatan, tenor Andrea Bocelli and more," 14 June 2019 But many contemporary composers, like Philip Glass and Thomas Ades, are making use of countertenors as well. — Washington Post, "A high-voiced rising star at 25," 2 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'countertenor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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